Combined extension table and cabinet



Dec. 1.7, 1946.

P. H. WEBER COMBINED EXTENSION TABLE AND CABINET 2 sheets-sheet i n INVENTOR ,//ff

ATTORNEY Filed May 26,'1941l Dec. 17, 1946. p H, WEBER GOMBINED,Y EXWNSIONY TABLE AND CABINET ,Filed May 2e, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTORNEY.

Patented Dec. 17, 1946 4 Claims.

as readily extended to full length beyond the cabinet.

A combined extension table closed in my prior Patent No. 2,054,843, issued to permit the latter to enter the Other more specic objects and advantages will to a rectangular frame comprising a front apron similar view showing the table colby a horizontal plate I3. The by side pieces I4 having blocks them and the side aprons I2. The frame, just described, is connected to the cabinet I6 through conventional extension slides Il, the forward end slides being rigidly attached to the side aprons I2 and the rear end slides being rigidly attached to and within the cabinet.

`The table top shown is in two sections, one` section I8 being xed to the frame, and .the other I5 fixed between OFFICE g, Chicago, Ill.

The cabinet I6 may be of any conventional or approved design. That shown is provided with an upper compartment 2I for receiving and housing the table and a lower drawer space 22 separated therefrom by a horizontal partition 23.

In order to permit entry of the table top section I8 into the cabinet space 2|, provision is made for elevating the section I9 out of the plane of the section I8 automatically as the latter approaches the cabinet. Although that might preferably cut away at 26 to accommodate the fingers 25 so that the latter will not interfere with inward advance of the table top section I9 into the cabinet. Each slide plate 24 is vertically movable between apward the fingers 25, neath the table top section I9 to lift the latter out of the plane of table top.

Provision is made for lifting both slide plates 24 automatically as the outer section I8 of the table top approaches the cabinet. This is accomplished in plates 28, each being supported intermediate its ends upon a rock shaft 29 carried by partition 23, and each being so disposed that one end Sil thereof projects beneath one oi the slide plates 24 While the other elevated end 3l projects beneath an actuator bar 32. The bar 32 normally rests upon the upper ends 3l of the rocker plates and extends transversely of a trip lever 33 to which it is attached intermediate the ends of the latter. The lever 33 is hingedly supported at one end 34 adjacent the rear of the cabinet and extends forwardly and upwardly therefrom, its forward end 35 being disposed within the path of ravel of an actuating cam block 36 carried by of the table. The block 3? positioned to engage and depress the forward end 35 of the lever :3d as the table section d8 approaches the cabinet, to thereby actuate the rocker plates 23 and the slide plates 24 in such manner as to elevate the table top section I9 which has previously entered the cabinet.

It will of course be understood that, with the 'be separated before position shown in Figs. l,

table top section I9 thus lifted, in the manner just described, into the position shown in Fig. 2, the way is clear for entry of the table top section I3 into the cabinet beneath the section I9, as indicated also in Fig. 2. It will also be noted that during advance of the table top section I3 into the cabinet, the cam block 35 bears against the lever 33 so as to retain it in depressed position and so as to retain the table top section I9 elevated.

t will be further noted that, as the table top section I8 is withdrawn from the cabinet, the lever 33 remains in depressed position until'the cam block 36 and its inclined edge 31 has cleared the forward end 35 of the lever, whereupon the table top section I9, together with its supporting slide plates 24, fall by gravity, permitting the section I9 to reassume its normal position on the extension slides Il and permitting the lever 33 to reassume its normal elevated position.

As previously pointed out, the sections I8 and I9 of the table top are separably engaged by ccnventional pin and socket connections Eil, when the table is extended, in order to insure accurate registration of those sections. Because of this, it is highly desirable that, in collapsing the table, these connections between the table top sections the section I9 be lifted, and that, when the table is again extended, the sections be again closely joined. Provision is therefore made for accomplishing these functions automatically.

In the device shown, automatic separation oi' the table top sections is effected by upright pins 38, each carried by one end of a horizontal rock plate 39, pivotally attached to the under side of the plate i3 by a screw 49 or other form of vertical pivot. A spring 49 yieldably retains each rock plate 39 in the position shown Vin Figs. l and 4, in which position the pin 38 carried thereby bears against the base oi a recess 4I formed in A the plate i3 and projects upwardly into open Isided groove 42 formed in the lower edge of the top section I8. Each rock plate 39 also carries a depending sto-p member 43 which extends laterally toward the center of the table, the inner end of each being disposed to engage reduced side portions 44 of the lever end 35 as the tab-le seccabinet. Engagement of members 43 causes directions of the arrows of Fig. 4, so as to cause the pins 38 to act on the adjacent edge of the table section I9 in such direction as to force the latter away from section I8 and thus separate the pin and socket connections 29. It is understood oi course that this occurs before the lever end 35 is depressed by the cam block 36 and hence before the vertical slide plates 24 have been actuated to lift the table section I5. The stops 43 ordinarily assume the vertical 2 and 3, but each is hingedly mounted, as at 43', so' as to swingk toward the right (Figs. l and 2) and thereby clear theF portions 44 of the lever 33 as thetable section I3 is withdrawn from the ca inet.

Reengagement of the table top sections is eifected automatically, whenever the table is extended, by appropriate means which will now be described. In the device shown, the means employed for that purpose includes la pair of rods 451each having an eye 46 at its rear end, slidably engaged with a stationary horizontal bar'lil anchored in the cabinet. The forward end of each rod 45 extends loosely through a bracket 43 attache'd'to the bottom of a block 49 which'is slidable in a guideway 59 formed in one of the fixed blocks I5. Movement of the rod 45 within the bracket 48 is limited by a nut 45 on the rod. Each slide block 49 is connected to a similarly mounted slide block 5I through a cable 52, the cable passing around a pulley 53 stationarily mounted on the under side of the fixed block I5. Each block 5! carries a bracket 54 through which a rod 55 is loosely extended. Each rod 55 is attached to and depending from the rear edge of the table top section I9, and a nut 51 at the forward end of each rod 55 limits the movement thereof within the bracket 54.

The arrangement is such that whenever the table top section I9 is separated from section I8 in the manner above described, each rod 55 carried by section I9 acts on its slide block 5I to shift thelatter with the section I9, whereupon the other slide block 49 is actuated by the cable 52 to move in the opposite direction. This of course occurs as the table top section I8 approaches the cabinet, and the two blocks 5I and 49 remain in the relative positions into which they have thus been shifted, until the table is later extended from the cabinet. As the table section I3 is withdrawn from the cabinet and thesection I9 lowered onto the extension slides I1, the nuts 51 ultimately engage the brackets 54, and thereafter continued outward movement of the section I8 is transmitted to the section i9 through the rods 55 and brackets 54, causing the section I9 to thereafter follow Vsection I3. Y Both thereafter continue their outward movement until the eyes 46 of the rods 45 are arrested by the forward ends of the bars 41, whereupon continued advance of table section I8 causes both slide blocks 49 to retract and both slide blocks 5I toadvance with respect to the section I8, the advance of the blocks 5I being transmitted through the rods 55 and brackets 54 to Vadvance the section I9 into close engagement with the section I8, thereby eiecting rel-engagement of the pin and socket connections Various changes may be made in the embodiment of the invention hereinabove specifically described without departing from or sacricing the advantages of the invention as denedin the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A collapsible table for the purpose described having a lengthwise extensible and collapsible frame, a table top comprising a plurality of separable' sections in coplanar relation when" said frame is extended, one of said sections being movable with the movable end of said frame, a support for said movable frame end movable therewith, means at the other end of said'frarne for elevating another of said sections clear of the plane of said rst named sections to admit the latter beneath said elevated section when said frame is collapsed, and means responsive to collapse of said frame for actuating said elevating means. u

2. A collapsible table for-the purpose described having a lengthwise extensible and collapsible frame, a table top comprising `a plurality of separable sections in coplanar relation when said frame is extended, means for separating said sections, one of said sections beingV movable with the' movable-end of said frame, means at the'opposite end ofsaid frame for elevating another of said. sections clear of the plane of said first name-d sec-f tion to admit the latter beneath said elevated's'ection-When said frame is collapsed, and means responsive to collapse of said frame for actuating said section separating means and said elevating means.

3. A collapsible table for the purpose described having a lengthwise extensible and collapsible frame, a table top comprising a plurality of separable sections in coplanar relation when said frame is extended, means for separating saidsections, one of said sections being movable with the movable end of said frame, means at the opposite end of said frame for elevating another of said sections clear of the plane of said rst named section to admit the latter beneath said elevated section when said frame is collapsed, means responsive to collapse of said frame for actuating said section separating means and said elevating means, and means responsive to extension of said frame for positioning said sections in edge-to-edge relation.

4. A collapsible table for the purpose described having a lengthwise eXtensible and collapsible frame, a table top comprising a pluralitir of separable sections in coplanar edge-to-eclge relation when said frame is extended, means responsive to collapse of said frame for separating said sections, means responsive to collapse of said frame for elevating one of said sections above the plane of another of said sections so as to admit the latter beneath said elevated section, said last named means being effective to return said elevate-d section to the plane of said other section upon extension of said frame, and means responsive to extension of said frame for returning said sections into edge-to-edge relation.

' PETER H. WEBER. 

